2 overlooked Orioles who may hold the keys to success in 2026

If the Baltimore Orioles expect to contend for the AL East and the World Series in 2026, they'll need their best players to play like it. Gunnar Henderson returning to the player he was in 2024, Pete Alonso hitting 30+ home runs, and Kyle Bradish staying healthy are all things the Orioles need to have happen for them to be contenders. However, over the course of the season, the Orioles will have to rely on many of their lesser-known players to keep up in what is sure to be a fierce playoff race in the AL East.

The difference between winning the division and wild card spot or the difference between a wild card spot and a seat on the couch could come down to a single tiebreaker. So the impact of role players on this Orioles team will be more important than ever.

2 players that the Orioles will need step up in 2026

Tyler Wells

Wells has the versatility to help the Orioles in multiple roles. He has a solid track record as a starter. A big reason for the Orioles success in 2023 was the fact that Tyler Wells balled out for the first half of the season, pitching to a 3.18 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP.

Wells missed most of the second half of the season due to "fatigue" which highlights why he shouldn't be considered a real option to be a mainstay in the rotation, but he has more than proven himself capable of starting games in short bursts.

Wells also has experience in the bullpen. That was his role when he first got called up, and he returned to that role in the second half of 2023, where he was very effective. He did not allow a single run out of the bullpen in four regular-season appearances or in any of his three postseason appearances.

With this versatility, Wells will be able to fill in where the Orioles pitching staff most needs him. One day, he might make a spot start if Kyle Bradish needs an extra day off, a week later, he could come in out of the bullpen in the second inning after a comebacker knocks Dean Kremer off the mound, and then a few days later, he might close a game if Ryan Helsley has already gone two days in a row.

Being able to cover all those different situations with one capable pitcher will save the Orioles from having to go to worse pitchers in any of those spots or burn through players' options. It might not amount to much in the WAR column, but it would help the Orioles in ways the stat sheet does not always show.

Jeremiah Jackson

Just a few days ago, it seemed like Jackson's role on the team was destined to be diminished, but with the injuries to Holliday and Westburg, it is apparent that he will, at some point, be an important part of this Orioles season.

Cluster injuries are a dangerous thing. Most teams have enough depth to sustain an injury at any of their position groups; it's when there are two or three at the same time that things start to spiral. The Orioles being able to have Jackson as an option immunizes them from having to play a sub-replacement-level player in the event of multiple injuries, which now seems inevitable.

Whether or not Jackson is pressed into service for 30 games or 130 games, the difference his contributions make as a backup and utility player could be the difference for the Orioles in 2026.